Catena Fidei

Search

Search arguments, verses, authorities and passages

Saint Augustine in His Study (detail), Sandro Botticelli

Augustine of Hippo, The City of God IV.16

Sandro Botticelli, Saint Augustine in His Study (detail), c. 1480 · Ognissanti, Florence · Public domainSandro Botticelli, Saint Augustine in His Study (detail), c. 1480, Ognissanti, Florence

SectionAugustine of HippoPublic domainBook IV

Chapter 16.—What Was the Reason Why the Romans, in Detailing Separate Gods for All Things and All Movements of the Mind, Chose to Have the Temple of Quiet Outside the Gates.

But I wonder very much, that while they assigned to separate gods single things, and (well nigh) all movements of the mind; that while they invoked the goddess Agenoria, who should excite to action; the goddess Stimula, who should stimulate to unusual action; the goddess Murcia, who should not move men beyond measure, but make them, as Pomponius says, murcid—that is, too slothful and inactive; the goddess Strenua, who should make them strenuous; and that while they offered to all these gods and goddesses solemn and public worship, they should yet have been unwilling to give public acknowledgment to her whom they name Quies because she makes men quiet, but built her temple outside the Colline gate. Whether was this a symptom of an unquiet mind, or rather was it thus intimated that he who should persevere in worshipping that crowd, not, to be sure, of gods, but of demons, could not dwell with quiet; to which the true Physician calls, saying, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls?”

Reproduced in full. Translation: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (Schaff, 1887), public domain (Public domain).

Read the full text

Connections

Part of · 1

Around this entry

Open the whole map
  • Passages
  • Documents
  • Authorities
  • Favorites
  • prefigures → fulfilled
  • taught → disciple · succeeded →

Hover to trace, click to select, double-click to open.